Open

[airborn]

Who: Rue (airborn), Katniss (empowers), and YOU!
What: Rue and Katniss make their weapons from scratch and play around a little. Anyone curious enough can stumble on them in the park!
When: Morning of Day 70
Where: The park in Baldr district
Rating: PG



Coming to the park had been a great idea; not too long after she and Katniss had arrived, Rue had found a three-pronged branch that fit her purposes. It was light enough to carry around, but sturdy enough that it wouldn't snap when she used it. Wandering a small distance away, Rue perched on a large, protruding tree root and set about peeling the bark.

The work was familiar, soothing, and reminded her of home; it was the weapon she'd learned to use since she was old enough to work. With one nearby, she and her fellow workers could occasionally get a good meal from whatever wild birds wandered into the orchards, drawn by the ripe fruit. And roughly-made slingshots like these were easy enough to conceal in the orchards, and remained under the peacekeeper's radar.

Rue smiled. She and Katniss might not be in Panem any more, but the weapons would be familiar in their hands, and a reassurance. If they worked quickly enough, maybe they could get some target practice in before the day was over.

Comments

[struckout]

[ The person Lightning agreed to meet here won't be showing up for a little while longer, but... well, so far the woman's sense of time still isn't entirely put back together again, and she ends up making her own appearance quite a bit earlier than she might have intended. With nothing else to do, however, she decides to stick around, watching other morning park visitors from a distance as she nibbles on a green-skinned apple.

It takes her uncharacteristically long to finally notice the girl, distracted as she is and with her instincts for danger feeding her a pleasantly low level of things to be concerned about. She still says nothing though, simply blinking at Rue silently. ]

[airborn]

[Sharp as Rue's ears are, she notices Lightning's approach and simply returns the stare, one hand still poised over the half-peeled stick.

Then she gives Lightning a tentative smile.]

[struckout]

[ Lightning doesn't smile, though she does incline her head a bit; despite her serious demeanor, hopefully it's friendly enough to pass as a greeting. ]

Are you a Traveller?

[ It's actually getting harder to tell at first, these days, but the question's mostly rhetorical anyway. Truth is Lightning's still not all that good at ~conversations with kids~ when they're suddenly sprung on her. ]

[airborn]

Yeah. [Rue gives her a quick nod, eyes looking up at Lightning through her lashes.]

I've been here a few weeks now.

Are you new? [The park's popular enough with the Travelers, but it's still pretty early. Maybe the woman's lost?]

[struckout]

[ -- At that, Lightning does show a small smile, though both it and the short, breathy laugh that accompanies it doesn't really hold much genuine humor- it's more out of surprise and irony than anything else. ]

Not exactly.

[airborn]

[So...not a newcomer. Rue rearranges herself until her legs are drawn up, slingshot held loosely in one hand.]

Are you looking for somebody?

[struckout]

In a way.

[ She keeps her voice easy, but at the same time watches the girl carefully, noting the slingshot and keeping it in mind even as she shifts her weight to one leg and loosely crosses her arms. ]

I know they'll be here, but it seems I've... arrived before I was expected.

[airborn]

I'm here with someone, too. [Rue looks behind her, and gives a light shrug when she doesn't immediately spot Katniss in the vicinity.] She's looking for something to make a bow with.

Are you meeting with a friend from home?

[struckout]

Yeah. [ But, she doesn't elaborate. After a beat: ] You said... a bow?

[ And for some reason that seems more interesting to her than you'd expect? ]

[airborn]

Yup, a bow! That's the weapon Katniss used in the Games, and she's realllyyy good. I just have this.

[She waves the half-finished slingshot at Lightning.]

It's not finished yet, but it won't take me too long. My brothers and sisters, we used to make these together all the time.

[attorneyatloud]

[Apollo was out in the park as well, as he was most days, walking his Golden Retriever. The dog was alert, trotting along at Apollo's side. She was well-behaved and never pulled at the leash, going where Apollo led.

The dog notices Rue a moment before Apollo, turning toward her. Apollo can tell she must be another Traveler, and he smiles, waving with his free hand.] Hello.

[airborn]

[Her body tenses at first, then relaxes when she spots the speaker. Incomplete slingshot safe in her lap, Rue swings her legs down and smiles at both Apollo and his canine companion.]

Hello.

[attorneyatloud]

[He stops, and the dog stops too, sitting at his side, her tail wagging slowly. Small talk isn't exactly his strong point, but there's no reason not to be friendly, of course.] It's a nice day, isn't it?

My name's Apollo. Nice to meet you.

[airborn]

[Dipping her head in agreement, Rue holds her hand out toward the dog for her to sniff. It seems calm enough, and wouldn't be the first pet Rue's seeing around other-worlders. Seeing people with their animal companions makes her miss the chatty mockingjays from home.]

I'm Rue. [Her eyes return to the dog at his side.] Is she yours?

[attorneyatloud]

[The dog sniffs her hand politely, still wagging her tail.]

Yes, she is. [He only recently adopted her back home, but he supposes she really is.]

The gods brought her here, from my home. When they were giving some people gifts. For whatever reason. [He notes the signs of Rue's project, the slingshot in her lap.] Are you making something?

[airborn]

[Permission granted, Rue smiles brightly as she drags her fingertips through the soft fur on the dog's head.]

Did you ask the gods for her?

[A shrug comes before she lifts the forked branch for him to see.] A slingshot. I just started making it.

[attorneyatloud]

[She seems very pleased to be petted, looking up happily at Rue, tail still wagging.]

No, they gave people things from home, whether they asked or not. I'm not sure how they knew about her, but then, I still don't know how they brought us here, either, so that's not surprising.

[He nods, recognizing the general shape.] Oh, right. I've never had one of those, but I've seen kids playing with them on television before. [They're not exactly a common toy of his era.]

[airborn]

[Her entire demeanor changes. The hand petting the dog draws away, and her gaze suddenly turns wary.]

The television?

[attorneyatloud]

In old sitcoms and things like that.

[At her reaction, he reminds himself that they're not all from the same worlds or universes. Right, he should give the full Asgard introduction.]

I'm from Earth, the United States, in 2026.

[airborn]

[His attempts to put her at ease only make her more wary. While she doesn't shrink away, the look she gives him is full of mistrust.]

The kids in the television...what were they doing?

[Wendy had said the Games didn't exist here, but maybe they existed in other worlds, too.]

[attorneyatloud]

[He's not really sure what she's worried about, but he can sense it, his bracelet tightening. he didn't mean to say anything to upset her.]

Oh, playing games or causing trouble, playing pranks. There's this one show about a kid who annoys his neighbor by doing things like breaking his window.

It's supposed to be funny, I think.

[Yes, Apollo has watched Dennis the Menace reruns.

Slingshots are pretty much before his time, where toys are concerned.]

[airborn]

[They don't sound like the Games, but she's never seen Capitol shows that weren't the Games before. Could the things they watch on the television be similar to what he's describing?]

It's just pranks? The kids don't have to hurt each other?

[attorneyatloud]

[Hurt each other? That sounds--alarming.]

No, they're actors. They're not really doing anything, especially not hurting each other. It's all scripted.

[He's not going to bring up reality TV, as that will just confuse the issue.]

Just a story.

[airborn]

Oh. [She's not sure what that means; the concept of actors and the shows on television not being real is one she doesn't really understand.]

What do they do? The actors?

[attorneyatloud]

They act out stories. It's like reading a book, but with people playing the parts of all the characters. [He's met people who have no concept of a legal system. Not having scripted TV shows isn't so weird, but he's not exactly sure about the source of the confusion. She sounded like she knew what TV was.]

Do you have television and movies at all where you're from?

[airborn]

[Oh, that doesn't sound so bad. Kind of fun, actually. It's too bad all able-bodied people in District 11, even the kids old enough, work all day or she'd try to bring that idea back home. Maybe she could try something here?

Rue shakes her head at his question.]

We have television, but we don't watch stories like that. Just the Games.

[attorneyatloud]

The Games? What are those?

[They sound fairly innocuous, anyway, like the Olympics or something, but then, he has no idea.]

[airborn]

The Hunger Games. The Capitol holds them every year, and we're supposed to watch.

It's supposed to be a tournament or something like that.

[uglyinside]

[ It seemed whimsical, but the wind produced that day was perfect weather for it. He'd found something far more compelling to take interest in, however, upon his arrival. A young girl he hadn't seen before, though immediately he can distinguish her as a Traveler. He had spent enough time with the native children at the place to understand that.

He approaches her, smiling kindly as he watches. His hands hold the kite gently against his chest. ]

Excuse me.

this is late, I'm sorry!

[airborn]

[Rue looks up from her work, smiling.]

Oh, hello! [Her attention is immediately drawn to the kite in his hands.] Are you making something, too?